Sign



C. WALTON May 12, 1953 SIGN Filed Feb. 9, 1950 INVENTOR. a)

Patented May 12, 1953 This invention relates ate-signer advertising tdes. vices and the like, and particu1ar1y:-to*snchhde. vices as are adapted to attract the -attentionwofit observers by movement on animatiom of some portion thereof.

It is c an 1 object ofthe inventione to provides;as: sign;- advertising device, on time-like; in Whichr. eye-attracting motionof eiementsmof the: Sign: will beobtained without tthe: application ofame- L chanical ior electrical energy;

It is another objeot ot theiinventiomto provider. a: sign or --the like in which movable elements carried by the-signnaresoperated 'by-.:-air currents; I

A further object of the'invention is toprovidera" signor the i like in which air-current -,opi 41 erated: movable efements are 1 arrangedv ainsueh"- manner-as to give. the appearance ofiformingthe: sign:

stil'l'j'another -ob5eet: oi the IIIIYEIIfiiOIBiSNOIPIG? vide asign or, the like. having elements: movable; 5 byzyair currents which;- maybe easily and. i-inex pensively iconstructed,i.but is durabieand adaptedsfor a-wide;variety .of uses.;.

Additional objects of theeinventioniwill be zap--- paren-txfrom the ;followingvspecificationitakemimr. coniunctiontwithnthecdrawings, inpzwhichw i urerlqis ar planyiew:,.of aasignrconstructedin accordance with thecpresen-tiinventioni the sigm representing-a letter andqhaving air-currentoneratedmovabl l ments,rmoun etlrthereom. 3U

isurerza-is menl reed :verticai iseotionaliiviewv on sline 2l Zoifieure 1 ivh-ichgili stratesthe mane nerrrin2whichpthe air.cur,rent .operatetiamovablea: elements r imount di.

. Fi ure 3; is. a;fragmentaryvfieticah; ctional: ietnam lines- 3 oi Ffigurerl Figure-Fina rtherwenlarseclfra mentary-issue tionel View similanvtoyFismte:Zwhichrshews are: sreat rr etail-the bearin s providedef rr ili e v curren perated- :movabie elements;

Figure 5 is =afragmentary-viewer :"a sign simtiarjto that tin Figure; lgwith th'e movable eiemen a removed and the mounting screws shown in see tion;

Referring to the drawings; the numeral I Wis i5 aimsa (Cl. 40-3 253";

While; it I is evident that H 5t:

The base Il] may be formed of anyz suitabiees materiai -in-any desiredyor conventional; manner, duerregard being: had-for such :factors asptheeree quired structural-strength, resistance tor-abrasions,

* and i the atmosphericqconditions under, wliicl'raitc supports=omposts,=-I I The apostsv I I which can the.

of ."piastia; .metaigor: other; suitable-material are :1 secured itOi-thlef basez I Gaby screws: I Zrwhichs; are inserted; from: thes. rear. ,1 side of the base I02 through slots I3 and I4 andiithreadeti ly-engaged:

in an zaoffset :eniargednpontiorn I5; formed; atszone end. f'thessuppontingzposts;I'I.. v

Eachi i f=;thee-snpports I I iisaprovidediadiaoent; itss; other-1 end; with: a; transverse more; -I A: hearin housing? I95 is; carried, in: each of; the b01 88)! 8o, Eachihousing I 9;;comprises acunwhiahwpreierabiy is 'ineerteeiandrheid irrnonemf the bores Iflbyrpressing it therei, :valthough:.othersuitable: method .of-imountingsmayvbe usedi..-. At the-tottme fcFthev-insiriez-of a1l10f:.thfi cu-nsatheretisi providedna: bearing n. Theabearingi 2-2:; is ipref: mbly filrmfidlof-ilmfil' fid glassiandiiszvprovidedzs om 01513::1' ace; with; i a smooth: rounded 1 cavity-1:2, g The washer 2| andthe bearingh ilareafirmly hetoh iHQDOSitiZOIlKiD-Llthfl cupizwith-the;.cavity-;23faoing utwardly by acretaimng'isrmgxz4.; The-iatter -isg; screwethreadedtyv engaged with the: interior 0t saidgzcumadiaeent theraou-terwend: thereof. beat-ringed.2zarezthusmonntediso as-to permit-theirsrepiacementiif necessary Theumovabiet.elements x01 rotors 281- provicte'c-i 'byr-the present invention are,-: as show-n in the drawings;serew-like-in:construction." Each of the rotolcs Z 8 com1orises-= a body portion -29*Which-is generaily 'oylindrioal in-- shape and a' pIuraH'Eyof integrally formed screw-like-cr voiute-shapedsplines or vanes 38 preferably extending the length: thereof! The height of each oith'e-splines' or vanes: sfi preferabiy increases--fr'om' one end ofi the bbdy 29 -t0"th8 opposite end thereof so" that t1'ie-rotor-s -2 B give the general impress-ion; oi" bea'zng conical inshapes -At' each endmf the body 29 -of-"each of "the rotors 28, thereis provided"shatbiifi. The: shafts- 3 2 each comprise cylindrical nee cil'e like 1 portien =ofsmai1diametr 3 3 "at "one end'and "an enlarged portion at the other end having a threaded extension 34 which is removably engaged in an axially disposed threaded bore in one end of the body 29.

In assembling a sign constructed in accordance with the present invention, a base or backing of desired shape is provided and bored or punched to provide the two series of mounting slots l3 and I4 therein. The oppositely disposed slots I3 and H which are associated with each pair of supports H are disposed perpendicularly to each other. Moreover, as will be seen most clearly in Figure 5, each of the slots l3 on the outer edges of a curved character is preferably formed with its longer dimension substantially normal to the outer curved edge. The slots I4 which are provided adjacent the inner edges of curved characters are preferably formed so that the shorter dimension of each is substantially normal to the curve of the inside edge of the characters. a

The supports II are secured to the base If! by means of screws [2 in opposing slots l3 and 14, with the cavities 23 in the bearings 22 of each pair of supports being aligned, each with the other. A washer 36 is provided for each of the screws 12 on the rear face of the base l0. While the supports l I are still loose on the base l0, one of the rotors 28 is placed in position between each opposed pair of supports with the needle-like shaft ends 33 within the cavities 23 of the bearings. Subsequent tightening of the screws l2 so as to firmly hold the supports 1 I in position results in the secure mounting of the rotors 28. The anti-friction bearings 22 serve as supporting bearings as well as thrust bearings for the shafts 32 and thus provide mountings which have a very small amount of friction and permit free rotation of the rotors 28.

Slots l3 and M are provided in the base If! instead of cylindrical holesto permit lateral adjustment of the supports II at one end of each of the rotors so that suitable spacing of the rotors on signs or characters with curved or irregular outlines may be secured. Thus, while the location of the slots determines the general arrangement of the rotors 28, movement of the supports 1 I within the limits permitted by the slots makes possible minor changes in position which may add to the eye-appeal of the sign. justment will, of course, be made before the final tightening of the screws l2 which hold the supports II in position on the base I0.

The rotors 28 are preferably formed of lightweight material such, for example, as plastics, from which they may be readily molded. Their shape with the multiple spline or vane arrangement is such that they will be rotated by even very small air currents. In thus rotating, the rotors 28 will reflect light and attract attention to the sign, advertising device, or the like. The rotors 28 may be of any desired color or finish and the base or backing I0 may, if desired, be colored the same or may be given a contrasting or harmonizing color.

It will be understood that the rotors 28 may be closely mounted on individual characters as described above and shown in the accompanying drawings or they may be disposed in any other desired arrangement, such, for example, as groups rotors. Furthermore, if desired, the base may be Such adcut out to form skeleton characters or designs. Signs, constructed in accordance with the present invention, are adapted for use in a large number of applications. The eye-attracting motion of the rotors under even very light air currents makes them valuable for use as outdoor signs. Indoor signs embodying the rotors of the present invention may be so positioned as to cause spinning of the rotors by currents of ventilating air or, if desired, the rotors may be actuated by the air currents from a small fan.

While in many locations there will be sufficient light falling upon the sign to obtain an attractive effect even at night by the operation of the rotors, additional illumination can be provided, if desired, either from behind the sign, in which case the base or backing may be translucent, or

from the front, as by a spot or flood light suitably placed.- The spinning of the rotors 28 and the reflection of light therefrom which may be of different colors depending upon the color of the rotors, will produce a very interesting and attention-attracting sign.

It will be evident that the size of the rotors may be varied within Wide limits. In some instances, the use of a large number of small rotors may be desirable. In other instances, a fewer number of large rotors may be preferred or a combination of large and small rotors may be used. The rotors shown in the accompanying drawings are provided with two splines or vanes. If desired, however, three, four, or even more splines may be provided on the rotors.

I claim as my invention:

1. A letter for an outdoor sign, comprising a base havin the outline of said letter, a plurality of pairs of alined bearings fast to said base and arranged along the opposite marginal portions of said base, said pairs of bearings being spaced along saidv marginal portions to substantially completely outline said letter, and the spacing of said pairs of bearings being substantally closer than the spacing of the bearings of each pair, a rotor having its opposite ends journalled in each pair of said bearings and screw-like splines projecting from said rotor a suflicient distance to rotate said rotors through motion derived from outside air currents.

2. A letter for an outdoor sign, comprising a metal base having the outline of said letter, a plurality of pairs of alined bearing blocks fast to the front face of said base and projecting forwardly therefrom along the opposite marginal portions of said base, a cup bearing carried by each of said bearing blocks and opposing the cup bearing of the companion bearing block, said pairs of bearing blocks being spaced along said marginal portions to substantially completely outline said letter, and the spacing of said pairs of bearing blocks from one another being substantially closer than the spacing of the bearing blocks of each pair, a rotor having axial projections at its ends and journalled in the cup bearings of each pair of said bearing blocks, and screw-like splines projecting from said rotor 21.

suilicient distance to rotate said rotors through:

motion derived for outside air currents.

3. A curved letterfor an outdoor sign having an inside curved marginal portion generally parallel with and of shorter length than a corresponding outside marginal portion of said letter, comprising a base having the outline of said letter, a plurality of pairs of alined bearings fast to said base with one group of bearings of said pairs being spaced a relatively large distance 1,

from one another along said outside marginal portion of said letter and with the other group of bearings of said pairs being spaced a relatively small distance from one another along said shorter inside marginal portion of said letter, and said bearings substantially completely outlining said letter, and the spacing of said pairs of bearings being substantially closer than the spacing of the bearings of each pair, a rotor having its opposite ends journalled in each pair of said bearings, and screw-like splines projecting from said rotor a suificient distance to r0- tate said rotors through motion derived from outside air currents, said splines being of progres-.

sively diminishin diameter from one end of said rotor to the other with the ends of said rotors having splines of larger diameter being arranged along said outside marginal portion of said letter, said splined rotors being in closely spaced massed relation to present a visually obstructed area greater than the visual free area between said rotors.

CLIFFORD WALTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

